Father Mahoney, after a long day caring for his parishioners, entered Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church and knelt for his daily 10:00 p.m. meditation on the Body of Christ, the Eucharistic host enclosed in the Tabernacle.
Relaxed and focusing his mind on the Tabernacle, he entered a portal that transported him to ancient Israel, and he concentrated his vision on the hands of Jesus, as his savior worked miracle after miracle on the gathering crowds.
Kate Walsh, the mother of six rambunctious and unpredictable children, slipped quietly out of the house, while her husband watched baseball on TV, and walked the short distance to our Lady of Mount Carmel Church.
She sat at the back of the church praying for her husband and children, her controlling mind wandering over the events of the day, Stevens’s growing insolence, Maggie’s failing grades, her husband spending more time away from the family, and a hundred other burdens she bore.
Father Mahoney in deep contemplation on the miracles of Jesus, overflowed with the power of the Spirit, trying to contain the ecstasy building up inside him, knowing it was of the flesh and not the spirit.
Kate Walsh, unable to still her monkey mind, flooded with images of perceived family shortcomings concluded she was becoming a devouring mother and needed to offer an olive branch to her husband and children.
Lensdiary 
Interesting last paragraph describing the “devouring mother” having a change of heart enough to offer an olive branch to her family.
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Yes, unfortunately, Kate likes to control her family and treats her budding teenagers like three-year-olds, giving them no space to grow or make their own decisions. From discussions with Father Mahoney and prayer, she is beginning to understand the need for change.
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Nice. With all the activity in their lives, it was so good she was able to see her shortcomings too~
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Thanks, Larry. I think that is a main feature of prayer and meditation, helping us to see ourselves better.
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All it took was one man praying for the Spirit to overflow in revitalizing power and lead a harried wife and mother to repentance. Miracles still happen. Wonderful story.
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Yes, the interaction of church in our lives, can be a very positive thing, if it comes from the Spirit.
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This is going to get me into a lot of trouble I know but I wanted to slap Father Mahoney’s self-obsessed face and make him focus on Kate, assuring her that she was not the one at fault and calling her family in for a good dressing down about their selfishness.
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I see where you’re coming from, Doug, but in Father Mahoney’s defense:
– He was sitting at the front of the church absorbed in contemplation, while Kate was praying at the back of the church, so he was unaware of her presence.
– Kate attends the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Saturdays, weekly at 5:00 p.m. and Father Mahoney has been counseling her on her controlling ways and suggesting she give the rest of the family some space to live their lives instead of her trying to live their lives for them.
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Hard to respond to new information. 😉 In the original, I was responding to Kate’s concerns about ‘Steven’s growing insolence, Maggie’s failing grades, her husband spending more time away from the family’. They sounded more like they came from a position of natural love and care for the future of her family, not the desire to control them. At the end of the day, it’s your story so write on. 🙂
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Steve’s growing insolence, Maggie’s failing grades, and her husband’s withdrawal were all meant to be warning signs that something was dysfunctional within the family. I appreciate your honest comments and critique, as always, Doug, keep them coming.
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Seldom is one person at fault totally, although if she can see herself more clearly, she might be able to better deal with what’s going on in the family.
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Yes, it takes at least two to tango, Mimi. Though sometimes one can be domineering to the detriment of others.
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There is something very special about sitting in an empty church. Your mind calms, focus begins to dial in clearer. It’s peaceful. Perhaps Kate was able to see her situation from a different perspective.
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So many different pathways in this story. Very interesting.
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I agree, Gary. I’ve always been fascinated with the different approaches to prayer and it seems to depend on the temperament of the person. Martha and Mary from the bible is a good example. Though I do believe action should always follow prayer.
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I grew up in a religious environment where prayers were often said publicly, led by one, and they were short (sometimes way too long though) speeches with a definite rhythm and style. Then, we had this tradition of saying “grace” before every meal. I’m telling you Len, it doesn’t take long to run out something original to say. I was envious of my Catholic cousin who seemed to have an acceptable “go to” prayer that was always the same. I would tell him, “that’s not fair.” He said it was a trade off though. It has taken me a long time to consider Silence as a form of prayer, Thankfulness too, and of course Heartache opens the prayer door very quickly. I really like this short story of yours.
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And the unasked question: which prayer is more pleasing to God? Father Mahoney, the professional religious, in charge of the direction of his meditation, but at least aware enough to know that the ecstasy was of the ‘flesh, not the spirit’; or Kate Walsh, a prey to her monkey mind, but finally hearing through to the need for an olive branch. I suppose the answer is that they’re both doing their best. Thought-provoking reflection on prayer.
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My view is that all prayer is pleasing to God. I am tone-deaf and would never subject people to my singing. I was always irritated when the priest extolled the congregation to sing by stating that if you sing hymns it was twice as pleasing to God.
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Seconding what Doug and Jenne said.
When prayer becomes profession no amount of confession fills the void.
Strong Six!
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Thanks for your thoughtful comment, Spira. There is public and private prayer. The profession of priests is to conduct liturgical liturgies and rites and to care for the spiritual and moral well-being of their congregation. Liturgical rites are public prayers. Personal prayer is a challenge for all, priests as well as laity.
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With Father Mahoney’s thoughts of the flesh, not spirit, and Kate’s concerns about her husband’s suspicious activities I was beginning to wonder what the final sentence would reveal!
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I had started, intending interaction between Father Mahoney and Kate, but alas, it would have taken more than six sentences. The line about flesh and the spirit is that sometimes people experience ecstasy in prayer and so go to prayer to regain that feeling of ecstasy. Prayer is to communicate with God (whatever that means) and should not be entered into for pleasurable experiences.
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Such suspense with such a simple (at face value) scene.
Not to claim a seat with with Doug and ceayr on the hellbound train, but!
It was, in the way I hope others share, reading the story and, at the same time, trying to anticipate the ending.
There seemed to be a parallel building between the, (in the delightfully simple, ‘professional religious’ description in jenne’s Comment) priest and the hausfrau.
Nicely ambiguous ending.
Good Sixifying, Norm!
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Right on, Clark. We all pray in our own way, depending on our circumstances.
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“a hundred other burdens she bore”. So true. Other people’s behaviors become a burden in her mind. And I pray that she is not a narcissist and has no wish to control everybody. Sometimes she only needs to give people some love for them to come back to her.
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Thanks for visiting and commenting. Unfortunately, yes, she was a very controlling mother but is starting to understand herself a little better, and knows she has to change.
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What a beautiful thought that people realize their mistakes. Often it is some big event happening in one’s life to make one realize what one couldn’t see before.
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Yes, that is the power of prayer, makes us see ourselves as we are.
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